A Guide to the Shopping Districts of London

Is London Calling your name? Well, you better listen and head off to London this holiday season and while you are there you can pick up some gifts for loved one’s and a little for yourself.

London is home to many a type of shop but knowing which district to shop in can be confusing. Here’s a guide to what you’ll find and where in the capital city.

Oxford Street is one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. It has several hundred landmark department stores: Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams, among others. There’s also the music store HMV and the high street fashion store Topshop.

Near Regent Street and south of Oxford Street is Saville Row in Mayfair, famous for its exclusive tailor shops: Ozwald Boateng, Gieves & Hawkes, Henry Poole & Co and H. Huntsman & Sons, you’ll also find the flagship store of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Off the eastern side of Regent Street is the ‘Swinging Sixties’ Carnaby Street area, still home to exciting designers in twelve blocks of boutiques, restaurants and cafes. There’s no cars allowed on Carnaby Street itself, it’s pedestrians only during the day.

Going west at the southern end of Regent Street is Piccadilly with arcades full of specialty shops for jewelery, antiques and shoes. It’s also where you’ll find the city’s most famous food shop, Fortnum & Mason, founded in 1707. At the eastern end of Piccadilly you’ll find Lilywhites, which has been selling sporting goods for over a century.

South of and parallel to Piccadilly is Jermyn Street, known for its many high-quality tailors, shoe shops and gentlemen’s outfitters, the street is most renowned for its bespoke shirt makers such as Turnsbull & Asser and Charles Tyrwhitt.

West of Regent Street, Bond Street links Oxford Street with Piccadilly and is home to the luxury stores for Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Tiffany products. The northern half is New Bond Street and contains Sotheby’s Auctioneers, the Fenwick Department Store and Cartier Jewelers; the southern half is Old Bond Street, with stores for Gucci, Prada and Chanel.

Chancery Lane, the western boundary of the city of London, besides being a centre for the legal profession, also has the London Silver Vaults three floors underground. Over forty antique silver dealers, every one of whom has been in business there for at least the last fifty years, use the vaults to sell silverware at competitive prices.

King’s Road, famous from the 1960s, has designer shops, cafes and trendy boutiques, Look for the storefronts of interior designers Cath Kidston and Peter Jones. Check out the Chelsea Antiques Market and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood’s original shop.

Hatton Garden, near Holborn, is London’s center for diamonds and jewelery. Fifty-five jewelery and fine gem retailers, including De Beers, have stores there. Many wedding and engagement rings have been purchased at Hatton Garden.

Next time you head to London to go shopping, do your research first and find all the shops you need in one area!